British Theatre Guide

News, reviews, features and podcast on theatre across the UK

Dance

Reviews

Jekyll and Hyde

Jekyll and Hyde

Drew McOnie

The Old Vic

The Old Vic

5 to 12 August 2020

Strasbourg 1518

Strasbourg 1518

Jonathan Glazer

Artangel and Sadler’s Wells and Academy Films for BBC Films and BBC Arts.

BBC2 and iPlayer

20 July to 18 August 2020

Standby / She Remembers

Choreography Paul Lightfoot, Sol Léon

Nederlands Dans Theater 1 & 2

15 July to 10 August 2020

English National Ballet School’s Virtual Summer Performance

English National Ballet School’s Virtual Summer Performance

Choreography Annabella Lopez Ochoa, Didy Veldman, Andrew McNicol

English National Ballet School / Post production BalletBoyz and Manilla Produ...

11 July to 11 August 2020

Jessie Mueller, Kelli O'Hara and Nathan Gunn

Carousel

Music by Richard Rodgers, book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, based on t...

New York Philharmonic

Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, New York

10 July to 8 September 2020

Drowntown Lockdown

Drowntown Lockdown

Rhiannon Faith Company

Rhiannon Faith, Big Egg and Barbican

From 9 July 2020

World Ballet School Day

World Ballet School Day & A Screen Apart

Choreography Didy Veldman and others

The Australian Ballet School / Boston Ballet School / Canada’s National Balle...

7 July to 6 August 2020

Dancing at Dusk

Dancing at Dusk — A moment with Pina Bausch's The Rite of Spring

Choreography by Pina Bausch, music by Igor Stravinsky

Sadler’s Wells, Pina Bausch Foundation and École des Sables

1 to 31 July 2020

Windrush: Movement of the People

Windrush: Movement of the People

Sharon Watson

Phoenix Dance Theatre

BBC4 and BBC iPlayer

21 June to 22 July 2020

Dracula

Bram Stoker, adapted by David Nixon

Northern Ballet

BBC4 and iPlayer

31 May 2020 to 30 May 2021

Marcelino Sambé as The Cello and Lauren Cuthbertson as The Cellist

The Cellist

Choreography by Cathy Marston, music by Philip Feeney

The Royal Ballet

Royal Opera House

29 May to 11 June 2020

Revisor

Crystal Pite (choreographer and stage director) and Jonathon Young (script ba...

Kidd Pivot Productions

BBC4 and BBC iPlayer

24 May 2020 to 25 April 2021

Here/Not Here

Jonzi D with music by Torben Lars Sylvest

Bim Ajadi, Film 4 / BSL Zone

11 May 2020

News

Michael Clark, Because We Must, 1987

Michael Clark: Cosmic Dancer at the Barbican

8 August 2020

This autumn, Barbican Art Gallery stages the first major exhibition on dancer and choreographer Michael Clark.

Delia Mathews and Brandon Lawrence in Embrace

BRB departures and arrivals

8 August 2020

As Birmingham Royal Ballet begins its preparations for a return to performance, Director Carlos Acosta has announced list of joining and departing company members.

The Company in Matthew Bourne's Romeo and Juliet

Bourne’s Romeo + Juliet on DVD

8 August 2020

Matthew Bourne’s Romeo + Juliet will be released on DVD and Blu-ray following the release of download and streaming versions.

Cinderella: Artists of BRB as Stars

BRB Cinderella to be streamed online

31 July 2020

David Bintley's production of Cinderella will be broadcast in full on Birmingham Royal Ballet’s web site and Facebook page at the end of its Home from Home series.

Jeyasingh’s Contagion at Grange Festival

31 July 2020

Shobana Jeyasingh’s Contagion, created to commemorate the 1918 Spanish flu, will be available this summer on film in SJD Shorts and live at The Grange Festival.

Sadler's Wells cancels further performances

30 July 2020

Sadler's Wells and Peacock Theatres have extended their cancellation of performances across until 10 November 2020.

Mererid Hopwood

NDCWales & Literature Wales digital film collaboration

29 July 2020

Plethu/Weave will see NDCWales dancers partnered with Literature Wales commissioned poets on short solo film performances to première at the National Eisteddfod’s online digital festival.

Elmhurst Ballet School

Elmhurst Ballet School dance masterclasses

29 July 2020

Elmhurst Ballet School, the vocational school in association with Birmingham Royal Ballet, will move its annual summer school online this August with its Back to Dance Masterclasses.

Richard Bermange during ENBYouthCo's Summer Intensive in August 2019

ENB at HOME: youth dance course

25 July 2020

This summer, English National Ballet will run a course of free online classes for young dancers aged 14–19 years.

Acosta appointed Governor of Royal Ballet School

19 July 2020

The Royal Ballet School has appointed dancer, choreographer and Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet Carlos Acosta to its Board of Governors.

Les Ballet de Monte-Carlo

Monte-Carlo Ballet Company reopens

15 July 2020

Monte-Carlo Ballet will reopen in October 2020 with artistic director Jean-Christophe Maillot's Altro Canto and Vers un Pays Sage in October.

Dream by Christopher Bruce

NDCWales shows Christopher Bruce’s Dream

14 July 2020

On the day that should have been the Opening Ceremony for the 2020 Olympics in Japan, National Dance Company Wales will be showing its 23-minute film of Dream, by Christopher Bruce CBE on Facebook and YouTube.

UK Ballet Schools Unite for September 2021 Auditions

Ten UK ballet schools unite to delay September auditions

12 July 2020

In response to the current lockdown and its impact on dance training and auditions for dance schools, ten UK vocational ballet institutions have jointly agreed to put back the traditional audition start from the autumn to January 2021.

Cinderella Games

ENB Cinderella Games online première

12 July 2020

Cinderella Games, a film project inspired by Christopher Wheeldon’s production of Prokofiev's Cinderella for English National Ballet, is to be shown online

Francois Testory in Institute

Gecko's Institute on BBC Four

10 July 2020

Gecko, BBC Arts, The Space and Illuminations have collaborated on an adaptation of theatre show Institute for BBC Four, broadcast as part of BBC Arts Culture in Quarantine.

Have a dance down the rugby club with NDCWales

10 July 2020

While rugby clubs and theatres in Wales remain closed, National Dance Company Wales will bring the rugby community together in a virtual online rugby club.

Viktorina Kapitonova in SLBB

Swan Lake becomes a bathtub ballet

10 July 2020

Ballet dancers perform from their bathtubs all over the world in Swan Lake Bath Ballet film by Corey Baker, available on BBC iPlayer as part of BBC Arts Culture in Quarantine.

Manch UK: new virtual platform from South Asian dance community

10 July 2020

A new virtual platform, Manch UK, shares stories and short performances from the South Asian dance community from artists including Mavin Khoo, Aakash Odedra, Vidya Patel, Sonia Sabri and Subathra Subramaniam.

Rosie Kay in new solo work: Absolute Solo II.

9 July 2020

Award-winning choreographer Rosie Kay is returning to the stage after five years in her new solo work as part of a triple bill: Absolute Solo II, 21 years on from her first ever solo show Absolute Solo.

The Lowry Centre for Advanced Training in Dance

Lowry advanced dance training open for applications

7 July 2020

The Lowry Centre for Advanced Training in Dance has opened applications for the next year of its annual scheme starting September 2020, open to young people from the North West aged 11–16.

Three new Friday premières from Royal Opera House

6 July 2020

The Royal Opera House continues its #OurHouseToYourHouse programme with three new productions: Romeo and Juliet (The Royal Ballet, 2019), Faust (The Royal Opera, 2019) and The Sleeping Beauty (The Royal Ballet, 2020).

Drowntown Lockdown - Rhiannon Faith Company

Barbican to stream Rhiannon Faith’s Drowntown Lockdown

6 July 2020

A film prologue to Rhiannon Faith's Drowntown, which was set to be on a UK tour now including a visit to the Barbican, will be screened online followed by the trailer for the stage show and a Q&A discussion.

Time to Tap: Rebecca Crookes

Crookes makes Buxton debut with improvised tap

3 July 2020

Rebecca Crookes is to make her Buxton Fringe debut with Time to Tap, a tap performance with live music by Kyle Lamley.

Royal Ballet School in Liam Scarlett's Cunning Little Vixen 2019

ENB and Royal Ballet Schools in online World Ballet School Day

3 July 2020

English National Ballet School and The Royal Ballet School will take part in the inaugural World Ballet School Day, to be streamed online on Tuesday 7 July from 12 noon.

Rosemary Lee’s Common Dance available online

3 July 2020

A dance film of Rosemary Lee’s Common Dance, created for Greenwich’s historic Borough Hall in 2009, will be free to view until 22 July 2020.

Dame Gillian Lynne and Peter Land

Lynne and Land Foundation awards grants

3 July 2020

On the second anniversary of the death of choreographer Dame Gillian Lynne, The Lynne and Land Foundation has announce that it will award grants to four arts organisations close to her heart.

Sir David Bintley coaching students in Birmingham

Bintley to judge BRB lockdown Choreography Challenge

1 July 2020

Choreographer and former Artistic Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet Sir David Bintley will judge an online Choreography Challenge for students together with its creator, Brandon Lawrence.

ENB in La Sylphide

Sylphide and Cinders for ENB at Home in July

27 June 2020

The final instalment of English National Ballet’s ENB at Home programme will feature La Sylphide and Christopher Wheeldon's Cinderella.

Staging Schiele

SJD Shorts: Shobana Jeyasingh's works online

26 June 2020

Shobana Jeyasingh has worked with filmmakers Terry Braun and Gary Tanner on new short films for small screens based on raw footage of her original stage works, SJD Shorts.

Delia Matthews in Didi Veldman's Sense of Time

ENB School summer performance and graduation goes virtual

24 June 2020

English National Ballet School's summer performance and graduation ceremony will be streamed online for the first time on the school’s web site.

Darcey Bussell confirmed for U.Dance festival

21 June 2020

Dame Darcey Bussell, Strictly Come Dancing’s Aljaž Skorjanec and Janette Manrara, Boy Blue’s Kenrick ‘H20’ Sandy, The Royal Ballet’s Steven McRae and West End star Layton Williams are confirmed in the line-up for U.Dance Digital 2020.

Jeyasingh's TooMortal to be screened

18 June 2020

Shobana Jeyasingh’s 2012 work TooMortal is being screened as part of the company’s SJD Shorts series.

Rambert School launches MA in Dance Research

18 June 2020

In its centenary year, Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance is launching its first MA in Dance Research for dance professionals across the world with a part-time programme validated by the University of Kent.

Dancing at Dusk – A moment with Pina Bausch’s The Rite of Spring

Dancing at Dusk with Bausch's Rite of Spring

18 June 2020

The next Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage offering is Dancing at Dusk—A moment with Pina Bausch’s The Rite of Spring.

Vadim Muntagirov as Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake

Ballet and opera resumes live from Covent Garden

13 June 2020

The Live from Covent Garden series marks the first live performances of opera and ballet at the Royal Opera House since the building closed on 17 March.

New CEO for Dance City announced

12 June 2020

Anand Bhatt, co-founder of the Aakash Odedra Company, is to be the new CEO of Dance City.

Towards Vivencia Summer Intensive

Towards Vivencia launches online Summer Intensive training for dancers

12 June 2020

The first ever Towards Vivencia Summer Intensive will be a festival that funds dancers to participate, with a line-up of teachers and choreographers to share their expertise with dancers worldwide.

NDCWales streams Ed Myhill’s Clapping

12 June 2020

National Dance Company Wales has announced its next live-streamed premiere, Ed Myhill’s Clapping.

BBC streams Corey Baker Dance film Lying Together

8 June 2020

Hong Kong dance film Lying Together is now available via BBC Arts and United Nations Environment Programme’s YouTube channel.

Fuel Theatre's DeadClub at The Place

Fuel & The Place present Requardt and Rosenberg's Deadclub

7 June 2020

Fuel and The Place will offer the rare chance to experience Frauke Requardt and David Rosenberg's 2017 DeadClub.

Kaufmann, Ashton and Szymanowski among latest from ROH online

7 June 2020

The latest online releases from Royal Opera House include a Jonas Kaufmann documentary Ashton’s La Fille mal gardée, the first Live from Covent Garden concert and Szymanowski's King Roger.

Graham Watts and Luca Silvestrini

Protein celebrates 21 years with digital programme

7 June 2020

Luca Silvestrini's Protein Dance is launching a new digital programme as part of its Protein 21 celebrations.

ENB Wednesday Watch Parties: June 2020

29 May 2020

English National Ballet’s ENB at HOME programme continues with Song of the Earth and Manon, with recordings available for 48 hours.

Roswitha Chesher, Mathieu Geffré, Zoie Golding, Sarah Blanc, Temujin Gil

Greenwich Dance Up My Street goes online

28 May 2020

Greenwich Dance's Up My Street—Online! will feature four TV-style episodes of new dance works performed by professional dancers and local volunteers, interviews with choreographers and an invitation to join in.

BalletBoyz: Deluxe

BalletBoyz Deluxe on BBC4

24 May 2020

The BalletBoyz 20th anniversary double-bill show Deluxe is to be broadcast on BBC Four and then available on iPlayer.

Ballet Black's The Waiting Game on BBC4

24 May 2020

BBC4 will broadcast Ballet Black: The Waiting Game featuring interviews with the company’s artistic director Cassa Pancho and following South African dancer and choreographer Mthuthuzeli November as he creates a new ballet, The Waiting Game.

Head Wrap and Fagin streamed from The Place

24 May 2020

The Place Online will stream The Head Wrap Diaries and Fagin's Twist.

Marcelino Sambe, Matthew Ball and Lauren Cuthbertson in The Cellist

More free Royal Opera and Royal Ballet productions online

16 May 2020

Royal Opera House is making available online productions of The Cellist (The Royal Ballet, 2020), Il trittico (The Royal Opera, 2012), La Fille mal gardée (The Royal Ballet, 2005) and The Magic Flute (The Royal Opera, 2017).

U.Dance 2019: Next Door Dance Youth Company

One Dance UK digital youth dance festival summer 2020

16 May 2020

One Dance UK is moving its U.Dance National Festival online this year for a weekend of streamed dance masterclasses, showcases, careers talks and information sessions for young people.

Crystal Costa with ENB artists in Nora

ENB's Nora and Swan Lake online

16 May 2020

English National Ballet's next Wednesday Watch Parties will feature Stina Quagebeur’s Nora and Derek Deane’s Swan Lake.

bbodance celebrates 90 years with free memberships

15 May 2020

To celebrate its 90th anniversary on 16 May, bbodance is giving away free memberships, giving teachers access to all its educational resources online until 1 September.

Voices and Light Footsteps

Richard Alston new web site

15 May 2020

Richard Alston new web site and cheering article.

Tamara Rojo in Song of the Earth at The Royal Ballet

Renée Fleming and Tamara Rojo in conversation

15 May 2020

Soprano Renée Fleming and Tamara Rojo, Artistic Director and Lead Principal Dancer of English National Ballet, will discuss online how the arts can contribute to 'holistic routes to wellbeing.

Gravity Fatigue

Branson and Chalayan next up on Sadler's Wells Digital Stage

13 May 2020

TOM by Wilkie Branson and designer Hussein Chalayan's Gravity Fatigue are the next two performances on the Sadler's Wells free online dance programme, Digital Stage.

Dance for Parkinson's

Theatr Clwyd dance for Parkinson's workshops

11 May 2020

Theatr Clwyd is running free online dance workshops for people affected by Parkinson’s alongside national charity Parkinson’s UK Cymru.

Amici Dance Theatre Company celebrates 40th anniversary online

10 May 2020

Amici Dance Theatre Company is to celebrate its 40th anniversary with a YouTube livestream series.

Anne with husband and bbodance Director John Field

Former bbodance director Anne Heaton dies

10 May 2020

bbodance has announced the death of its former Director Anne Heaton at the age of 89.

Mthuthuzeli November and Cira Robinson in Cristaux

More Ballet Black online

10 May 2020

Ballet Black is to release a further three performances online as part of its #BBonFilm initiative.